[국제]US upgrades relationship with ASEAN to ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’

[앵커]

Bilateral relations between the United States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and ASEAN have been transformed into a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.

It is interpreted as a diplomatic move by the United States to check the expansion of China’s influence in Southeast Asia.

This is reporter Lee Dong-heon’s report.

[기자]

At the 10th ASEAN-US summit held in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, at 12 local time, US President Joe Biden announced that he would transform the bilateral relationship into a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.

[조 바이든 / 미국 대통령 : 오늘 ‘포괄적 전략적 동반자’로 새로운 협력의 시대를 시작합니다. 가장 큰 이슈들을 함께 처리할 것입니다.]

After China upgraded its relationship with ASEAN to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” last year, the United States also upgraded its relationship with ASEAN from a “strategic partnership” in seven years.

President Biden stressed that ASEAN is at the heart of the US Indo-Pacific strategy.

He said he would work with ASEAN and continue to strengthen the US role on important issues ranging from territorial disputes in the South China Sea to resolving the bloodshed in Myanmar.

He also stressed the need to jointly address outstanding issues such as climate change and threats to the rule of law while promoting freedom, stability, prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

President Biden also made no secret that cooperation with the United States is direct aid to ASEAN.

[조 바이든 / 미국 대통령 : 지난해 2억5천만 달러를 아세안에 추가로 지원했고, 내년엔 동남아 지원을 위해 8억5천만 달러를 요청했습니다.]

In particular, with respect to the South China Sea, over which China claims sovereignty and is causing disputes with neighboring countries, the joint statement said that ASEAN’s perspective on the Indo-Pacific and the US strategy share fundamental tenets.

This is YTN Lee Dong-heon.

YTN Dongheon Lee ([email protected])

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